To Keep a Wolf
by Charlie's Heroine
Summary: Josh is surprised when he wakes up to discover he has wolf ears and a tail. Freaked, he seeks the aid of his vampire friend, but, as time passes Josh becomes more wolf/dog-like in personality too. A little pre-slash and crackish.


Josh woke with a loud yawn, slammed his alarm off, and dragged himself from bed. It was 6am on a Monday and, ever since his first full moon, Josh was far from a morning person.

With his eyes half way open, he walked zombie-like to the shower, not taking anything to notice, not even Sally staring at him dumbfounded in the hallway.

He started massaging the soap into his hair when his hands paused at something long and fuzzy on the sides of his head. He felt them up to the tip then back down. It was at this exact moment he realized something else fuzzy had been brushing against his ass this whole time. Josh freaked. He opened his eyes, his first mistake, and suds spilled into them, stinging like wasps. He reached for his towel, but in his daze forgot to place it over the shower door, so he opened the door to reach for it, tripped over himself and fell out of the shower.

"Shit! Oww, ah, ow, fuck!" He cursed, naked, soapy, and blind on the tiled floor.

Then he heard a knock on the door with a concerned vampire asking if he was okay.

"Yeah, yeah, perfect. Just go away." Josh answered.

Once he found the sink, he rinsed his eyes and stared at himself in the mirror. Where his human ears once existed, Josh now sported grey pointed canine ones. He turned around and, sure enough, he had a fluffy grey tail. He wondered if this was some extension of his curse. He would need to speak to Ray about it but wouldn't Ray have told him this aspect?

Josh's eyes were wide with panic but he held it in until he finished his shower. Coming out into the hallway with a towel around his waist, he met Aidan.

"Josh, wh-what is…?" Aidan gestured to the ears.

Josh's panic was unleashed. "I don't know! I just woke up like this! I swear when I see Ray again, I'm going to kill him. How am I going to live looking this this?" He gestured to himself up and down.

He stormed into his room, smashing the door behind him, but not before Aidan caught the tip of his tail protruding from the towel.

Aidan burst out laughing. He clutched his sides and bent over, tears welling up in his eyes.

"It's not funny!" Josh growled.

"No, no, it's not. I'm not laughing." Aidan made a mock cough deep in his throat. "Calling out of work, I'm guessing?"

Silence.

Aidan felt pity for his friend. If this was a part of the curse, then it wasn't going away any time soon, if ever. "Listen. I'll call out too. I can spare one day."

The door opened and Josh emerged, clothed with damp hair, ears, and tail. "No, you don't have to."

"But I want to, Josh." Aidan smiled and put a hand on his friend's shoulder. "I can hang out with you 'til it goes away."

"You think it will?" Josh touched an ear and his tail tentatively.

"Of course." Aidan hoped his lie wasn't blunt. He patted Josh's shoulder in reassurance before turning to go downstairs. "Let's have breakfast."

Josh made a small whimper. "Could…could you do that again?"

Aidan's eyebrows furrowed, totally confused. "What?"

"Pet me?" Josh said.

"I didn't—"

"Yeah, you did, on the shoulder. Please, Aidan, please!"

Aidan noticed the werewolf's body shook with excitement. His ears perked forward and his tail swished back and forth. "Um, okay, Josh." The vampire rubbed his hand on the top of Josh's head and scratched behind his ear. After about a minute, he put his other hand on Josh's back and rubbed. Aidan was on the verge of cracking up again, he had to hold it in with a snort or two; he was having too much fun with this.

Josh was panting, his right leg bouncing up and down like it wanted to run all on its own, he was grinning wildly with his tongue lolling out. He was melting into the touches and his body began to sink, like he was about to collapse on the floor.

Aidan caught him before he fell. "Are you all right?"

Being abruptly brought down from his high, Josh looked absolutely miserable. "Why'd you stop?"

Aidan chuckled, "Because, you were about to fall."

Josh's ears drooped and his tail went limp.

"Why don't I get you something to eat? Would that make you happy?"

Josh's ears perked and his tail wagged, he shook his head enthusiastically.

They went down to the kitchen where Sally was laughing hysterically, but Josh didn't seem to notice. Aidan gave her a look, but a half-smile crept into it so Sally continued her hysterics.

"Let's see, we have cereal, pancakes—"

"Bacon!"

"I should've guessed. Sally, watch him. I'll be back." Aidan grabbed his jacket and left for the grocery store.

Lounging on the couch, Sally watched Josh. She watched him fiddling with the newspaper and knick knacks on the coffee table. Curious, the werewolf licked the newspaper and before Sally could butt in, took it in his mouth and rattled it aggressively.

Authoritivly, Sally commanded, "Josh, let go." She held out her hand, hoping Josh had forgotten she was a ghost but on the contrary he dropped the paper and snapped at her, his teeth wiping through her spirit hand. Sally gasped, "Josh how could you?"

Her answer was a snarl and Josh continued ripping at the paper. His tail happily danced behind him.

Sally could tell Josh saw nothing but that paper at the moment and was too wolf to reason with. With an exasperated sigh, she evaporated upstairs, giving up.

A smell penetrated the air. It was a musky, earthy smell, with a hint of sidewalk and nuts. It smelled delicious. Josh lifted his nose and took a deep inhale. He stood up and followed the scent, then paused. It was coming towards him. He froze, waiting for it to appear. All senses acute, his eyes searching every corner and his hands flexing in anticipation. Then he saw it, the source of that amazing aroma.

"Squirrel!" And with that, Josh leaped over the couch to the banister.

The rodent jumped to the floor and scurried all over the living room and kitchen, with Josh on its long fluffy tail. Together they made a mess, chairs falling over, kitchen tools scattered, tables turned, unfinished food spilled, and the TV _almost _knocked over. Sally squealed at the squirrel and pleaded Josh to stop or Aidan wouldn't be happy, but to no avail.

When it was over, the proud but exhausted wolf had the squirrel in his hands. He squeezed it until the life left its poor slim body. Josh grinned, looking like he just completed the most complicated surgery possible or scored his first date in years, and held the squirrel to Sally.

"Look what I hunted! Aidan will love it!" His tail wagged furiously as he beamed at Sally.

Sally shook her head and closed her eyes. "I don't think so. Look at this mess. It looks like a hurricane blew through."

Josh looked around. "It doesn't look like that to me."

"Well, it will to Aidan."

Josh gulped. Fear flooded his eyes and his mouth twisted to a frown. He heard keys rattling the front door, cueing his heart to pound in his ears. Squirrel in hand, he ran upstairs and dove under his bed. He heard the door creak open.

"What the hell?" Aidan's jaw and groceries fell. He glared at Sally.

"I'm a ghost for fuck's sake! I can't control him!"

"Arghhh, Josh!"

"He's not going to come."

Aidan's glare pierced through Sally like fangs.

She raised her hands defensively. "Fine. You don't get my help. I'll just sit here and watch you stumble through the house, looking for your pet."

As Aidan paced through the first floor, he placed chairs upright and sorted out what he could at the moment. "Josh! Josh, I'm not angry. I just want to talk to you."

Still nothing.

Aidan grumbled and swallowed his frustration. He sniffed the air and could barely make out Josh. The air was so contorted by the wolf's escapades all the scents had mixed and jumbled. He ran upstairs with vampire speed and stopped at Josh's bedroom entrance.

"Josh?" His voice was low and calm as he pushed the door agape, trying to coax the wolf from hiding.

From under the bed, Josh poked his head out timidly.

Aidan made a small smile and closed the door behind him. "It's okay. You can come out."

Josh did so and stood before Aidan with his ears laid back and his tail between his legs. His head was bowed as he played with the rim of his shirt with his hands.

Aidan rolled his eyes, finding it difficult to muster up his anger. This was_ too_ adorable. He cleared his throat and began slowly and sternly, "Did you make that mess downstairs?"

Josh nodded.

"Was it on purpose?"

Josh shook his head back and forth viciously.

Aiden had to clasp his hand over his mouth to prevent from giggling. "Then why did you do it?"

Josh peered up at Aiden with big puppy-dog eyes. "I'm sorry, Aiden. I was just having fun." He grabbed the squirrel from under the bed and held it up to Aidan's face. "I caught this for you."

Aidan had to grin at that. He took the squirrel. "Thank you, Josh."

Immediately, Josh's tail was wagging.

"But you can't run around the house….bad dog." Aidan threw the term in there just for good measure.

The tail ceased wagging. Josh flinched at Aidan's words. "I'm sorry. I really am."

"That's good." Aidan threaded his fingers through Josh's hair and smiled.

Moments later, they were on Josh's bed. Josh was curled up in Aidan's arms, drifting to sleep, while Aidan stroked his thigh and half-heartedly watched TV; more of his focus was on his wolf. They could get use to this. Josh could live with this.


End file.
